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20 Vintage Photos of Station Wagons from the 1960s-1970s

History Nostalgia Vintage Photos May 23, 2025

Last Updated on May 23, 2025 by Matt Staff

Long before there were SUVs and minivans dominated the roads, the station wagon stood as the unrivaled, quintessential family vehicle. With their wood-paneled sides, their roomy back seats, and their rear-facing third rows, station wagons really were built for all kinds of road trips. These 20 vintage photos are able to provide a lens to see their charm, style, and nostalgia during their golden age

1. Photographer, Dwight Church, captures a photo from atop a ladder in Canton, New York in 1973

An older man sits atop a tall ladder that is strapped to the roof of a station wagon, parked beside a street. The ladder extends above the car, creating an improvised perch. Houses and cars are visible in the background.
axlcobainvedder

2. Looks like everyone’s having a genuinely good time of it

Six smiling children stand in front of a vintage station wagon, with one holding a small black dog. They are dressed in 1970s clothing, and a tree or bush is visible behind the car.
couergormand

3. A glorious way to spend the summer of 1969

A vintage brown station wagon tows a white camper trailer on a dirt road with rocky mountains and a blue sky with scattered clouds in the background.
deleted

4. The food-stuffed station wagons of the ’60s were such a mood

A station wagon with its tailgate open is parked in a stadium, displaying a picnic spread with sandwiches, fruit, bread, baskets, and drinks, ready for a tailgate party. The stadium seats are empty in the background.
fnaxq

5. Riding in the backs of these station wagons was pure childhood bliss

Three children look out the open back window of a brown and wood-paneled station wagon; one waves while the others smile. The car is parked on a road with trees and bushes in the background.
skipperbob

6. Malibu surfers with a Woodie Station Wagon back in the sixties

A black-and-white photo of a vintage wood-panel station wagon with surfboards leaning against it, parked in front of a hut with a "Surf Hut" sign. Several people in swimwear stand around, smiling.
fnaxq

7. A family during the ’70s shows off their Oldsmobile Station Wagon

A man, a woman, and a girl pose in front of a gold station wagon parked on a driveway. Trees and greenery are in the background. The car’s rear door is open, and the woman holds a white handbag.
mistermajik2000

8. Carefree riding in the back of a station wagon in the 1960s

A young girl leans out the open window of a moving vintage station wagon, smiling and enjoying the breeze, while another person sits inside. The car drives along a road bordered by a rocky hillside.
fnaxq

9. Crossing American in a 1964 station wagon

A woman in a floral dress sleeps in the backseat of a vintage car while a child lies curled up next to her. Two more kids sit in the front seat, one looking down and the other turned away. Sunlight streams in through the windows.
goodgriefwhatsnext

10. Station wagon car camping in the 1960s

Two smiling children lie under blankets in the back of a station wagon, with the car seats folded down. Sunlight comes through the windows, creating a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. The car interior is retro in style.
iamungoogleable

11. Posing with their Fiat station wagon in the 1970s

Three people pose and smile in front of a green vintage car parked on a driveway, with greenery and a brown wooden building in the background. One person rests a foot on the car's bumper.
deleted

12. Station wagon pulling a boat out of the water, Crane Lake, MN, 1970s

A red station wagon with a canoe on top and a boat attached at a lake dock. Several people stand nearby, with trees and more boats in the background on a sunny day.
axlcobainvedder

13. A solid station wagon throwback to the year 1972

A child looks out the back window of a brown Ford Country Squire station wagon parked near a store, with a sign on the roof advertising “FREE NFL ACTION ’72 PLAYER STAMPS.”
anthonylomontagne

14. Hanging out in the back of a station wagon in 1977

Five children in colorful jackets and ski gear sit on the open tailgate of a brown station wagon in a snowy parking lot, drinking from cups and smiling. Other cars and snow-covered trees are in the background.
fnaxq

15. A mom and her kids in front of their station wagon in Grand Marais, Minnesota, 1975

A woman and three children stand in front of a brown station wagon in a parking lot. Behind them are parked cars, shops, and tree-covered hills under a blue sky.
axlcobainvedder

16. Nothing quite like piling in the back of your parents’ station wagon in the 1970s

A family prepares for a trip, loading luggage, tennis rackets, and a bat into a blue station wagon parked in a driveway. A child sits in the open car, while another helps an adult with bags. An adult stands by the house.
Screenshot

17. Nothing beat riding around in a station wagon during the seventies with the windows open

Three children sit in the back of a vintage yellow station wagon with a Washington license plate, parked outside a motel with a "Vacancy" sign visible above.
reditfan

18. This guy’s got that late 1970s station wagon look absolutely nailed

A young man with curly hair, wearing a t-shirt, denim shorts, and flip-flops, stands smiling with one hand on a brown wood-paneled station wagon in a parking lot with other cars and buildings in the background.
imitebeatwork

19. The lakeside station wagon picnicking was a thing of beauty

A family has a picnic at a bench by a lake, with a green station wagon parked nearby. The car’s trunk is open, revealing bags and groceries. The scene is set on a rocky shore with trees and water in the background.
pete_the_chop

20. A station wagon road trip in the 1960s

Three children sit in the back of an open station wagon reading and talking, with a woman standing outside the car door. A box and books are on the seat, and houses are visible in the background.
bigshotatnewtimes

Explore more nostalgic content from bygone eras:

From cross-country trips to Sunday grocery runs, these vintage station wagons were more than just vehicles—they were part of the family. For more nostalgic vibes, check out 20 Vintage Photos of What Schools Looked Like in the 1960s-1970s, and also, 35 Vintage Photos of the Mid-1960s.

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